Alabama's young voters turned out in high numbers, group says

Thousands of young people went to the polls in Alabama's primary, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE), a non-profit organization that promotes research on the civic and political engagement of young Americans.

The organization's preliminary estimates from exit polls show that 19 percent of Alabama residents 18 to 29 voted in Tuesday's primary.

Alabama had the fourth highest percentage of young voter turnout in all of the Super Tuesday states, according to CIRCLE. Only Massachusetts, with 25 percent, and Georgia and Missouri each with 21 percent, had a larger percentage of young voters at the polls.

There were 71,574 young Democrats who voted in Alabama and 64,023 young Republicans, according to CIRCLE.

Of the young Democratic voters, 64 percent voted for Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and 32 percent for Hillary Clinton of New York.

Of the young Republican voters, 51 percent voted for former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, 24 percent for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and 22 percent for U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona. and 4 percent for U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas.